Door operating mechanism



Original Filed Janysl, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Nov. 28, 1944. E. F. WAGNER 2,363,913

DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM Original Filed Jan. 31, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 rip-1% Original Filed Jan. 51, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR ATTORNEY A Patented Nov. 28,1944

noon o PEnATmer/mcumsM Edward FfWagner, Lakeville, 1nd,, a assignor to The Studebaker Corporation, South Bendgtlnd a corporation of Delaware Original application Januarytsl, 194 1,Serial No.

Divided and this 4 her 1. 1941, Serial No. 421,127

application Decem- 2 Claims. (ores-52) invention relates to door operating mechanisms and more particularly is concerned with s a hinge or, operating arrangement for doors in the sidecowl of an automotive vehiclexto be used as a ventilating means or as an entrance duct to an :air heating or conditioning system for the interior oi the vehicle.

application is a division of my copending application, Serial 376,727, filed January 31,

1941. s s 1 i r r i s s l One of the primary objects of the present invention is to provide an operating means which will insure positive opening and closing of the door from withinthe vehicle and will provide a mined actuation of a' control handle on :side of the vehicle.

Another object of the present invention iSf tO provide a construction which will be free of rattleand vibrationand will positively hold the door j t in. the desiredposition withthe operator knowing t at all-times the position of the door with respect gwto thedoor opening. t i

In its broader aspects the present invention .contemplates an operating handle having secured toit a disk carrying a pair of rollers which oper ate ;in:a pairofi symmetrical slots formed in an actuating bar whereby rotation of the handle produces predetermined movement of the actuating bar upon passage of the roller through the slots. The bar, A in turn, has connected to it a i hinge operating mechanism on which the door is supported whereby predetermined movement of the bar will result in producing a predetermined .icpening andlclosingmovement of the door relative to thedooropening. s

a In thisconnection means is provided for main -taining the actuating bar against rattling and \predeterminedly positioning the rollers within the :slots so that they will at all times move in the desired sequence. Further, resilient means is; provided for moving the door towards closed position and iorcmaintaining it closedaagainst a suitable resilient Weatherstripping mechanism tary construction in which the handle I9,:sleeve A predetermined opening in response to predeter; Q

the

broken away, showing the door operating inechanism and door-mounting; t i

Figure 2 is asectional view taken subjstantially on line 2 --2 of Figure 1;

Figure 31's a vi w correspondingtoTFigure 2 sh-owing thedoorin a partially openedpositionj 1 Figure 4 is-a detailed elevational viewioi the operating handle and actuating barin door in closed position. n i w s Figure 5 is a corresponding View of the mechanism inintermediate position; and l IF Tigure 6 is a corresponding viewshowing the mechanismin fullopen position. i t

Referring nowin detail to thedrawir'igs, a supporting plate 5 as shown in Figure 1 is secured atitscorners to the insidepanel 6 of the" cowl of a vehicle or the like by means-of the screws 1. Intermediate the upper and lowerends of the panel 5 there. is provided a crossbairgenerally indicatedat 8 which is "also secured to the inside frame of the cowl by means oi the screws 9. 'The crossbar 8 is preferably formed as a stamping and has the portionintermediate the ends thereof ofiset as shown clearly lnFigure 2, and isprovided with sin-aperture "l0 adapted to receive thebushing" for supporting the operating handle. Secured by welding or {the like to the inner face of the strap or bar 8 is the arm l3'which has a laterallyoifset portion ll provided with a longitudinally extendingslot [5. This places the portion l l of the arm l3 inwardly between the outer I panel "and the'inner panel liof the cowl.

Screwed into thebushing l2 is a threaded sleeve I! in which has been pressed and brazed the "end I 8 of a handle member I19 which projects outward ly through a rubbertgrommetzzu into the interior of the vehicle. The endofthe handle member projects beyond the inner end of thesleeve l1 and has brazed thereto a-disk 22 which is also brazed to the end of the sleeve 1 1 thereby making aunil1 and disk 22 are-assembled as a rigid unit.

{which actsboth as a cushion andsealing means; c

Other objectsand advantages ofthe present invention will appearmore fully from thesiollowing detailed description which, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, will dis- "close tothose skilled in the art the particular J ym /presentinvention. s

Inthe drawingsz Figural is an elevational view, moeb "construction and operation of a preferred form The disk 2 2 has the rivetstuds 23 spaced diametrically :on opposite sides of the end I8 ofithe handle, which studs have enlargedcollarportions 24 forming rollersurfaces and head portions 25 for clamping the actuating bar 26 between the disk 22 and the heads 25; t The actuating bar 26,

at one end thereof, has inturned arm portions 21 forming means for supportingavertically ;extending pin 28 beyond the ear portions 21. The

end of themember26 is provided with a stud 29 havinga collar portion 30 slidable in the slot 15 ofithe arm 1:3 andprovided with ahead 3! wherebythc-bar "is heldagainst lateral displacement arm 41.

otherwise retained in thechannel.

relative to the portion I4 of the arm. Thus it will be seen that the bar 26 can move longitudinally with respect to the offset portion H of the arm by means of the collar 30 sliding in the slot I5.

Adjacent its opposite end the bar 26 is provided with a pair of semi-circular grooves or slots 32 and 33, respectively, which overlap each other so that one end of the slot 33, as indicated at 34, is disposed intermediate the ends 35 and 36 of the slot 32. 24 of-the studs 23 whereby the rotation of the These slots receive the" collar portions handle I9 will result in the collar 24 sliding along 7 the slots 32 and 33 to move the actuating bar laterally from the door-closed position to dooropen position. This movement isclearly illustrated in Figures 4 to 6, inclusive, which will be described in detail hereinafter.

The pin 28 carried by the arms 21 of the bar is adapted to pivotally secure one end of a rod 38 therebe'tween. Adjacent the oppositeend of the rod 38 there is provided a transverse pin 39 41 has its angularly extending portion 48 secured against the face 49 of fa bracket member which at its upper and loweriends is provided with infturned ears 50 pivotally secured by P1113 52 to the bracket 53 secured to theouter cowl plate.

This mounts the arm 41' and the hinge member 49 for swinging movement about the pins 52.

Also secured against the opposite'face of the 40 portion 48 and arm 41 is a stamping 54 which is flanged for stiffening purposes and has the angularly offset flange portion 55 welded or otherwise secured to a door-member 56 which door member is provided with peripheral inturned edges 51. The member .54, the arm 41 and intermediate portion 49 of the bracket 53 are all secured .in firmly clamped relationship by means of a pair of studs 58 extending through and threaded into nuts 59 locked on the inner face of the bracket 49. This firmly clamps the entire assem-' bly for unitary pivotal movement about the pins 52 so that the door 56'moves as a unit with the It will be noted that the. outer plate member I6which forms the panel for the cowl is recessed as' indicated at 60 to provide a. bracket for receiving the edge of the hoodside plate member and at the opposite end the panel is provided with a recess 62 which receives the flanged edge of the conventional door. Intermediate the recesses 69 and 62 this panel is provided with a rectangularly such as rubber or the like, indicated at'64, which cooperates with the inturned edges 51 of the door to form a cushioning and sealing means therefor.

The strip 64 may be cemented in position or Secured adjacent the forward recess 68 ofthe outerp'anel is a plate'member 65 weldedor otherwise suitablysecured to the cowl panel'and having an extendedportion 66 adapted to'support arm 31, producing a counterclockwise rotation a screen member 61 in position. The screen extends substantially across the door opening and is for the purpose of preventing the entrance of dirt, insects or the like into the opening when the door is open. The screen, as will be apparent, is supported along one entire longitudinal edge and is'suflici'ently flexible so that it will not be damaged by the impingement of objects thereagainst.

Considering the Figures 3 to 6, the mechanism shown in Figure 3 indicates the door in its'intermediate orhalf open position. This corresponds to the position of the actuating mechanism shown in Figure 5. Figure 2 illustrates the door i its closed "position with the mechanism for moving the same positioned as shown in Figure 4. Considering now the operation of the door mechanism, thedetails of this operation will be yap'parent from Figures 4 to 6. In Figure 4 the door mechanism is in door-closed position with the handle I9 in: an uprightposition. Uponlrotation of thefhandle I9 tothe left, as viewed in Figure l, the left-hand roller 24' moves; downwardly inthe slot 32 at the sametime th-at the right-hand roller is 'moved upwardly and" forwardly. Consequently, a translationalrnovement of the bar 26 is effected andas the handle moves to a downwardly extending position as shown in Figure '5 the roller is moved entirely through the slot 32 from one end thereof to the other. This movement is accomplished by a rotation of the handle member. At the same time the righthand roller 24 has stayed within the end of the slot 33 and has moved from'one side o f the roller adjacent the handle I9 to the opposite side. thereof, thereby moving the bar 26 laterally to the left a distance equal to the distance between "the rollers 24.' The actuating bar 26 is restrained from separating movement by engagement of the rivet 29 in the slot I5 of the arm I3 and con"- se'quently the bar 26 moves laterally to thleft,

pullingthe rod 38 therewith. Pulling of the rod 38 results in the cotter pin-'39 at the free end thereof engaging against the formed 'endof'the of the armand the bracketsilland 54 about-the pivots 52. This moves the door from the position's'hown in Figure 2 to that shown in Figure 3.

In order to prevent rattling of the actuating bar 26 and to hold the rollers (positively in position-in the ends of the slots, a spring 10, as shown in Figure. 1, is connected to the actuating bar by ,being secured at one end in the opening I2 of the proper position so that the bar 26 will move'latera-11y upon rotation of the handle I9.

.'-With the handle .19 in .the position shown in Figure 5, that is, with the rollers 24 in the ends of the slots 32' and 33 as indicated at 34 and'36,

further counterclockwise rotation of. thehandle,

as viewed in Figure 5, resultsinthe; left-hand roller 24 of:Figure 5.moving through the slot, 33 to the end 31 of this slot, while. the opposite roller 24 is retained in the end. 36 of the 5101732 and produces the'desired ifurther movement of the actuating bar 26 to the left. .Thus', inthefull open position of the door as: shown in'Figure 6 the ro11ers'24 are in the opposite endsjof the slots 32 and 33 from that position which they initially assumed when the door was closed as shown in from the position shown in Figure 6 moves the actuating bar 26 laterally to the right thus moving the, rod 38 to the right and as clearly disclosed in Figures 2 and 3 the spring 43 then engages the opposite face of the arm 41 to forcethe handle, through the spring 10, is cooked against opening, and the spring 43 has full opportunity to functionin holding the door closed, the pin 39 door supporting bracket to swing in a clockwise direction about the pivots 32 toward a door-closed position. When the handle again assumes the position shown in Figure 4, the actuating bar 26 has moved through its full range of positions and consequently the door is restored'to closed position as shown in Figure 2.

The use of the spring 10 is desired as it tends to maintain the rollers 24 in the ends of the slots and consequently gives an indication to the operator of the handle l9 as to the position of the door, The door will be firmly retained in any of the positions shown in Figures 4, 5 or 6 due :to the tension of the spring regardless of the effect of the Wind on the door structure. Thus, a holding type of door opening mechanism is provided which 4 is capable of indicating the position ofthe door.

in accordance with the position of the operating handle and which is rattleproof, and free from vibration or the like so as to provide a sturdy,

rugged construction of simple form.

It will be noted from Figures 1 and 4 that the end 35 of the slot 32is slightly extended, where by when the handle I9 is in door-closed position it is slightly cooked to the right, with the pins or rollers 24 out of alinement with a. horizontal This produces what might be considered plane. an overcenter position as between the axis of the rod 38 and the left-hand roller 24. Thus the being out of the way, as shown in Figure2. This holds the door against rattling and also imposes,

slightly greater resistance to initial door opening movement of the handle l9. It also serves as a means of indicating to the driver the position which the door occupies; since tion the handle is vertical.

I am aware that various changes may be made in certain details of the present construction and I therefore do not intend to be limited except as defined by the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

1. In combination, a pair of spaced panels having substantially opposed openings, means for supporting said panels in fixed spaced relation with respect to each other to form a duct, a door for the opening in one of said panels, means for pivotally mounting said door adjacent an edge of the opening in said one panel, said last named means being disposed between said panelsand ac-, cessible through the opening in the other panel,

a dooropening and closing mechanism disposed inthe space between the opposed openings in said panels, said door opening and closing mechanism being adapted to be connected to said door through the opening in said other panel, and cover means for closing the opening in said other panel and supporting said door opening and clos- 1 ing mechanism. i

2. The combination of claim 1 in which the.

door opening and closing mechanism comprises a rotatable handle mounted in the cover means for closing the open end of said other panel, an actuating member movable rectilinearly upon actuation of said handle, and a motion-transmitting rod movable substantially rectilinearly by said actuating member and connected to the pivotally mounted means for the door for opening and closing the same uponrotation of the handle.

EDWARD F, WAGNER.

in full open posi- 

